MLB Player News

Stefanic was removed from Friday's game versus the Astros due to right calf tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Manager Ron Washington said after Friday's loss that Stefanic's injury is relatively minor, so an extended absence is unlikely. If he and Brandon Drury (hamstring) are both unable to play Saturday, Jack Lopez would be the favorite to start at second base.

Morel was removed from Friday's game versus Cleveland due to right Achilles discomfort, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Morel appeared to tweak his lower leg while turning back to first base after hitting a single in the third inning, and he ended up getting pulled for a pinch runner. The severity of his injury remains unknown, though it's possible the Rays will give him a day or two off even if it isn't too serious.

Altuve (side) is starting at second base and batting in the leadoff spot for Friday's game against the Angels.

Altuve left in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against the Athletics due to a side issue. The 34-year-old is back in the lineup after a one-game absence and will return to second base for the series opener. Since Aug. 1, Altuve has slashed .289/.365/.444 with five stolen bases, five home runs and 15 RBI across 159 plate appearances.

Drury (hamstring) isn't in the Angels' lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Hamstring tightness forced Drury to make an early exit from Wednesday's contest, and it seems he'll need another day to recover following Thursday's off day. In his place, Michael Stefanic will start at the keystone and bat ninth.

Lowe went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday against the Guardians.

Lowe blasted his home run in the first inning, bringing his total on the season to 18. He failed to go yard for a 15-game stretch between Aug. 19 and Sept. 5, but he has now homered twice in his last five appearances despite dealing with inflammation of his middle finger. Lowe has only 367 plate appearances but is closing in on his second consecutive 20-homer campaign.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-4 win over Seattle.

Semien belted his 21st home run as part of the Rangers' three-run eighth inning that wiped out the Mariners' lead. It was the second home run in as many days, and third in the last four contests, for Semien, who has hit safely in seven of the last eight games while going 11-for-34 (.324).

Torres went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Torres took Cooper Criswell deep in the first at-bat of the game, his third leadoff homer of the season. Torres just barely cleared the right-center field wall on a ball that would have only been a home run at Yankee Stadium. It was his 13th homer of the season, and he snapped a streak of 14 straight games without going deep. Torres has found a home at the top of the Yankees lineup and is hitting .307/.398/.436 in his last 25 games as the leadoff man.

Altuve (side) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve was removed from Wednesday's 5-4 loss due to discomfort in his right side. He and the Astros are downplaying the injury and manager Joe Espada said the infielder is "better" Thursday, but it's not a surprise he'll miss at least one game. Mauricio Dubon will handle second base Thursday while Altuve rests.

Lowe went 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk Wednesday against the Phillies.

Lowe was out of the lineup for five straight games due to a finger injury but returned to hit second and serve as the designated hitter Wednesday. He should serve in a large-side platoon role at second base so long as he is fully healthy.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 14-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Semien put the Rangers on the board in the third inning with a solo home run, his second long ball in the last three games and 20th of the season. He's hit safely in six of the last seven contests, going 9-for-30 (.300) and scored seven runs. Semien is 10 runs shy of posting a fourth consecutive season with at least 100 runs scored.